Heart of Darkness

This is the first published version of the novel that allows readers to hear Marlow's voice as Conrad himself heard it as he wrote the story. The editor, Robert Kimbrough, has completely re-edited the text—missing words have been restored, and the entire novel has been repunctuated in accordance with Conrad's own style. New to "Backgrounds" is the story of George Washington Williams, a black American who was in the Congo at the same time as Conrad. Acting on his own, Williams sent detailed reports on conditions in the Congo to both president Benjamin Harrison and Belgium's King Leopold II. Williams's writings, along with John Hope Franklin's commentary on Williams, present a good basis for comparison with and contrast Conrad. Also included are historical backgrounds to the Congo/Zaire, from the late nineteenth century to the present. Critical interpretation of the novel is wide ranging and includes newly chosen essays by Third World writers Chinua Achebe, Wilson Harris, Francis B. Singh, C.P. Sarvan; varied commentary on the film Apocalypse Now as it relates to the novel; and essays by Ian Watt, Garrett Stewart, and Robert Kimbrough, among others.